Chapter 363: The Right of Allocation

"What a coincidence," Cang Li added, smiling as he continued, "This path is blocked; if you all try to force your way through, my junior brother of Cangaotian won't be afraid."

Ying Wuji furrowed his brows slightly: "……"

Nie Bai noticed their demeanor was off and tentatively asked, "Have you all already found the treasure?"

As a result, no one answered.

And that exactly confirmed his suspicion.

He also guessed that Yuan Yao and her two companions had found the treasure first, while members of the Tianyi Sect were clearly blocking the three of them.

Nie Bai gave a half‑smile and looked at Cang Li and Ying Wuji, "Is the Heavenly Pride Token on you?"

Cang Li spread his hands, feigning ignorance: "No."

Then he raised his hand and swore, "I swear, the Heavenly Pride Token is not in my hands."

After speaking, he clasped his hands together, his expression solemn, and said, "Benefactors, have you perhaps misunderstood something?"

Hearing this, the Second Elder and Seventh Elder of the Tianyi Sect showed a subtle change in their gazes; they had not seen it with their own eyes, but only heard Lu Xiangxiang's account.

They looked toward Lu Xiangxiang.

Lu Xiangxiang said calmly, "I saw with my own eyes you entered the secret chamber."

"Did you see incorrectly? Or are you trying to frame us and then use the Tianyi Sect members to deal with us? After all, we have had many grievances with you before." Cang Li let out a light sigh.

"If you intend to use this method to revenge us, that's too despicable! Where do you place the Tianyi Sect elders and fellow disciples? You want to kill with a borrowed knife—have you ever asked whether they wish to become your knife…"

"Cang Li, shut up!" Lu Xiangxiang scowled, "Your mouth is the thing I hate most."

At this moment, the members of the Tianyi Sect showed slightly subtle expressions.

Their moods were complicated; they didn't know whether to trust Lu Xiangxiang again.

The Second Elder kept a composed face and asked, "Lu Xiang, were the words you said earlier true?"

Lu Xiangxiang immediately raised her hand, invoking a heart‑demon oath to prove her innocence.

Meanwhile, Nie Bai and Bian Chen and a few others understood the whole story.

Bian Chen's gaze involuntarily fell on Yuan Yao behind Cang Li and Ying Wuji.

Lu Xiangxiang added, "Second Elder, Seventh Elder, the three of them have stayed here so long; there must be something fishy. Perhaps other treasures are still hidden here."

With that remark, the focus instantly turned to Yuan Yao, who faced away from the crowd.

They had been present for a long time, yet Yuan Yao never turned around.

Moreover, her posture now was exactly the same as when she earlier tried to break the sealed barrier outside.

Cang Li wanted to say something else, but Lu Xiangxiang cut him off.

"Yuan Yao, why don't you dare turn to face us?"

The words hung, and a few seconds later, Yuan Yao still gave no response.

The Second Elder, Seventh Elder, Nie Bai, Bian Chen and others, all being clever, instantly realized that something more valuable than treasure or the Heavenly Pride Token might be hidden here.

In an instant, almost everyone's gaze, like hungry wolves, fixed tightly on the three of Yuan Yao.

The Second Elder's murky old eyes now glittered with greedy light; in a half‑threat, half‑warning tone he said gravely, "If you obediently hand over the treasure you previously looted, I will let you leave unharmed; otherwise, you bear the consequences."

"No," Cang Li spread his hands again.

The black‑clad youth beside him had already drawn the Destiny Sword.

The Second Elder, somewhat wary of Ying Wuji, looked at Bian Chen and said, "Bian Chen, you came here this time, presumably also to vie for the Heavenly Pride Token. There are now three Heavenly Pride Tokens on them; if you are willing to cooperate with our Tianyi Sect to deal with them, after the matter is settled we will give you one Heavenly Pride Token."

As long as they join forces with Bian Chen, dealing with Ying Wuji and the other two would be easy.

Bian Chen showed slight hesitation.

Nie Bai slightly raised his eyebrows, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

His strength truly could not match Bian Chen's.

It wasn't his point of anger, but that these Tianyi Sect members regarded no one, not even people from the Eighth Continent.

"Hey, you're bullying the few with the many!" Cang Li said discontentedly.

Nie Bai looked at them and suggested, "How about you give me one Heavenly Pride Token, and I'll help you."

Upon hearing that, Cang Li immediately moved beside Ying Wuji and asked, "Do we have the right to allocate the Heavenly Pride Tokens?"

Ying Wuji replied coldly, "No."

These three Heavenly Pride Tokens, Yao Yao can give to whomever she wishes.

Cang Li thought the same.

Their voices were neither loud nor soft, just reaching everyone's ears.

Nie Bai was somewhat surprised; since the two lacked allocation rights, that proved the allocation right lay with… Yuan Yao.

Lu Xiangxiang, hearing this, clenched her fingers tightly; she saw Ying Wuji and Cang Li's favor toward Yuan Yao and couldn't help recalling being used as Yuan Yao's substitute in a past life.

Bian Chen hesitated.

He thought, he could not return empty‑handed.

Bian Chen looked at the two Cang Li, "Brother Cang, Brother Ying, if I propose: the three Heavenly Pride Tokens be split into three parts, you get one, I get one, Tianyi Sect gets one, how about that?"

"You'd better not propose that," Ying Wuji said lightly.

Bian Chen's expression stiffened slightly.

The Second Elder timely spoke, "Bian Chen, what else is there to dispute?"

At this moment, Lu Xiangxiang spoke again to enlist Nie Bai, "Young Master Nie, although we cannot give you a Heavenly Pride Token, if you are willing to join forces with us, we can give you a holy‑tier artifact…"

Before the words finished, she suddenly felt a sharp sword aura surge toward her; her pupils contracted as she rapidly gathered palm force to block.

Boom—

Lu Xiangxiang was flipped onto the ground, blood trickling from her mouth corner, her complexion instantly turned pale.

The crowd was slightly startled, looking at the black‑clad youth who had drawn the sword.

The youth was peerlessly handsome, his narrow phoenix eyes exuding an icy chill; he was extraordinarily tall and wielded the Heaven's Mandate Sword.

He uttered four words.

"Nonsense, you talk too much."

Seeing this, the Second Elder and Seventh Elder exchanged a glance and together charged toward Ying Wuji and Cang Li.

Bian Chen hesitated for a moment, then decided to act.

The Second Elder, Seventh Elder, and Bian Chen were respectively at late-stage, mid-stage, and mid-stage of the Spirit Transformation Realm.

Moreover, the Second Elder had an arm bitten off by the Mountain King, and adding his previous severe injuries, his strength now naturally fell short of his peak.

Although the Seventh Elder also suffered severe injuries, her wounds and internal spiritual power recovered faster, allowing her to exert eighty percent of her full strength.

Bian Chen, however, could exert his full strength.

In this not-so-narrow passage, Ying Wuji fought three opponents alone.

Cang Li had wanted to join the battle, but he needed to guard Yuan Yao.

Furthermore, with his strength he could not possibly intervene.

Nie Bai's eyes flickered; he secretly sent a voice transmission to the three clan disciples, telling them to leave first, then taking advantage of their fight, he flashed forward and rushed toward Yuan Yao.

Cang Li's expression shifted slightly; he quickly struck out with a palm toward Nie Bai.

Nie Bai raised his palm to counterattack.

With a boom, Cang Li was shaken back several steps.

Nie Bai reached out and grabbed for Yuan Yao.